Abstract: A lithography apparatus provided independently of an exposure apparatus includes a carry-in/out block having a placement section in which a receptacle accommodating multiple substrates is placed; and a processing block including multiple processing modules, each processing module each including a hot plate, a transfer space that extends in an apparatus width direction from a side of the carry-in/out block and is provided with a transfer arm, a plurality of heating blocks in which the multiple processing modules are arranged in the apparatus width direction including a front heating block at of a front side of the processing block and a rear heating block at a rear side of the processing block, the front heating block and the rear heating block face each other with the transfer space therebetween and an access opening for personnel into the transfer space.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide a system for storing hot/cold waste generated during some processing steps in a wafer processing system and providing the stored hot/cold waste during next processing steps. For example, the system can include one or more hot waste tanks configured to store hot waste generated from the wafer processing system, one or more waste mixing tanks configured to mix the hot waste stored in the hot waste tanks with cold waste and output mixed hot/cold waste, a first heat exchanger thermally coupled between the hot waste tanks and the waste mixing tanks and configured to transfer the hot waste stored in the hot waste tanks to the waste mixing tanks, and a second heat exchanger thermally coupled to the waste mixing tanks and configured to transfer the mixed hot/cold waste to a next stage.

Abstract: A technique improves selectivity in etching of a silicon-containing film over etching of a mask in plasma etching. A substrate processing method includes placing a substrate in a chamber in a plasma processing apparatus. The substrate includes a silicon-containing film and a mask on the silicon-containing film. The substrate processing method further includes generating plasma from a first process gas containing a hydrogen fluoride gas in the chamber. The generating plasma includes etching the silicon-containing film with a chemical species contained in the plasma. A flow rate of the hydrogen fluoride gas is at least 25 vol % of a total flow rate of the non-inert components of the first process gas.

Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a first etching process including supplying a first etching liquid to a substrate on which a gate electrode and a work function adjusting film that adjusts a work function of the gate electrode are formed, and etching the work function adjusting film. The first etching process includes supplying hydrofluoric acid, mixed solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide (SPM), or mixed solution of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide (SC1) to the substrate as the first etching liquid.

Abstract: A power supply system of a plasma processing apparatus includes a radio frequency power supply, a bias power supply, and a power supply circuitry. The radio frequency power supply generates radio frequency power for plasma generation. The bias power supply supplies an electric bias to a substrate support. The power supply circuitry determines respective frequencies of the radio frequency power for a plurality of designated phase periods among a plurality of phase periods within a waveform cycle of the electric bias to suppress reflection of the radio frequency power. The power supply circuitry determines respective frequencies of the radio frequency power for phase periods, other than the plurality of designated phase periods, among the plurality of phase periods by interpolation using the respective frequencies of the radio frequency power for the plurality of designated phase periods.

Abstract: A processing method for performing plasma processing on a substrate includes placing a temperature adjustment target onto a support surface of a substrate support in a decompressible processing, forming a heat transfer layer by supplying, through the substrate support, a heat transfer medium including at least one of a liquid medium or a solid medium with fluidity to between the support surface of the substrate support and a back surface of the temperature adjustment target, performing plasma processing on the substrate on the support surface on which the heat transfer layer is formed, and separating the temperature adjustment target from the support surface after the plasma processing.

Abstract: Conformal semiconductor chucks are disclosed. The semiconductor chucks can include a first portion comprising a first vacuum pad. The semiconductor chucks can include a second portion exhibiting greater compliance than either of the first portion or a third portion. The semiconductor chucks can include the third portion comprising a second vacuum pad.

Abstract: There is a method for forming a film including an alloy film containing multiple types of elements on a surface of a substrate using a film forming target made of the alloy film, comprising: (a) arranging the film forming target and a distribution improvement target; and (b) forming the film on the substrate by simultaneously or alternately sputtering the film forming target and the distribution improvement target, wherein the distribution improvement target is made of a distribution improvement film containing a non-uniform element among the multiple types of elements, and in step (b), a larger amount of the non-uniform element sputtered from the distribution improvement target is supplied to a portion where the distribution amount of the non-uniform element is small compared to a portion where the distribution amount of the non-uniform element is large when the film is formed on the substrate by the film forming target.

Abstract: Gas supply amount calculation method includes: calculating flow rate of first substance gas by subtracting flow rate of second substance gas from flow rate of mixed gas of the first and second substance gas flowing through gas supply path connected to processing container configured to perform film formation by atomic layer deposition method; calculating first integrated flow rate of the first substance gas over time in remaining plurality of cycles after elapse of a predetermined number of cycles immediately after start of the film formation over a plurality of cycles; calculating average integrated flow rate per cycle by dividing the first integrated flow rate by the number of the remaining plurality of cycles; and calculating total supply amount of the first substance gas in the plurality of cycles by adding multiplication value obtained by multiplying the average integrated flow rate by the predetermined number and the first integrated flow rate.

Abstract: An information processing method of processing information for inspecting a substrate based on a captured image of the substrate, includes: acquiring the captured image of the substrate; creating a two-dimensional histogram using a distance from a center of the substrate and a luminance value as axes regarding the acquired captured image of the substrate; extracting a specific unevenness distribution corresponding to heterogeneous unevenness in the captured image from the two-dimensional histogram based on a predetermined domain definition; and acquiring a feature amount of the extracted specific unevenness distribution and determining a type of the specific unevenness distribution based on the feature amount.

Abstract: A film forming method selectively performs film formation. The film forming method includes a cooling operation and a film forming operation. The cooling operation includes cooling a substrate to a temperature at which molecules of a c-C4F8 gas and a SF6 gas condense on a surface of the substrate, the substrate having a metal film and a first insulating film exposed on the surface and being supported inside a chamber. The film forming operation includes forming a carbon-containing film on the metal film by supplying a processing gas including the c-C4F8 gas and the SF6 gas into the chamber while exciting the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate transfer method includes receiving first and second substrates by a pick of a first transfer device, detecting shift amounts of the first and second substrates, calculating a correction amount of a delivery position of the pick based on the shift amount of the first substrate, and moving the pick to the corrected delivery position to respectively deliver the first and second substrates to a first and second mounting sections, moving a first pick of a second transfer device to a receiving position of the first mounting section to receive the first substrate, calculating a correction amount of a receiving position of a second pick of the second transfer device based on the correction amount of the delivery position and the shift amount of the second substrate; and moving the second pick to the corrected receiving position of the second pick to receive the second substrate.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for fabricating a grating coupler. For example, the method can include providing a substrate, forming a plurality of grating elements and a photosensitive material above the substrate, and projecting actinic radiation of varied intensities to expose different regions of the photosensitive material, causing the photosensitive material to generate a solubility-changing agent. The method can also include removing the solubility-changing agent. The actinic radiation of varied intensities can correspond to depths of grooves between the grating elements.

Abstract: An information processing system includes a heat treatment apparatus that performs heat treatment on a processing target substrate by using a heating unit, and an information processing apparatus that controls power supplied to the heating unit. The information processing system further includes a heating control unit that controls the power supplied to the heating unit based on a measured temperature and a set temperature, a virtual power output unit that outputs virtual power supplied to a simulation model of the heat treatment apparatus based on the set temperature and a predicted temperature, a temperature prediction unit that outputs the predicted temperature, based on the virtual power, to the virtual power output unit by using the simulation model, and an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in the heat treatment apparatus based on a difference between the power controlled by the heating control unit and the virtual power.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing container having an opening in a sidewall, a partition wall configured to cover the opening and to define an internal space communicating with an inside of the processing container, a processing gas supply configured to supply a processing gas to the internal space, a pair of electrodes provided on outer surfaces of opposing sidewalls of the partition wall, and a shutter mechanism configured to open and close a communication hole through which the inside of the processing container communicates with the internal space.

Abstract: An apparatus for plasma measurement includes an electrode within a remote capacitive sensor, a capacitor within the remote capacitive sensor, and a capillary array disposed within a top surface of the remote capacitive sensor. The capacitor is coupled with the electrode. The capillary array is configured to allow charged particles to pass through the capillary array and charge the capacitor.

Abstract: A substrate processing method of a combined substrate in which a first substrate and a second substrate are bonded to each other is provided. A laser absorption layer is formed on the second substrate. The substrate processing method includes forming a separation modification layer by radiating a laser beam to the laser absorption layer in a pulse shape to accumulate a stress in the laser absorption layer; and separating the second substrate by releasing the accumulated stress in a chain manner.

Abstract: A substrate treatment method includes developing a substrate which has a coating film of a metal-containing resist formed thereon and has been subjected to an exposure treatment and a heat treatment after the exposure treatment. The developing includes exposing the substrate to an acid atmosphere being an atmosphere containing gas of a weak acid under a pressure of an atmospheric pressure or higher; and removing a product produced by a reaction between the metal-containing resist and the gas of the weak acid, by heating the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate processing system comprises a substrate processing apparatus, a vacuum transport chamber, a transport mechanism, a suction mechanism and a controller. The substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum processing chamber configured to perform processing of a substrate. The vacuum transport chamber is connected to the vacuum processing chamber and includes a transport port communicating with the vacuum processing chamber. The transport mechanism is disposed inside the vacuum transport chamber and configured to transport at least the substrate via the transport port. The suction mechanism is disposed inside the vacuum transport chamber and configured to suck an adhered object of a part inside the vacuum processing chamber via the transport port. The controller is configured to control the transport mechanism and the suction mechanism.

Abstract: A measurement jig for measuring the conditions in a device and a processing method are provided. A measurement jig having a substrate, a back-surface camera provided on a back-surface side of the substrate, and a controller configured to control the back-surface camera.